State investigators are looking into whether surprise Senate nominee Alvin Greene lied about being unable to pay for a criminal defense lawyer, reports the State newspaper.

Reggie Lloyd, director of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, told the newspaper that his agency’s inquiry was triggered by inconsistencies between Greene’s assertion that he needed a taxpayer-supported lawyer and his unexplained ability to pay the $10,400 campaign filing fee.

“We want to see how he came up with the money,” Lloyd said.

Greene won 59 percent of the Democratic primary vote, apparently without campaigning.

A criminal obscenity case is pending against Greene. Public defender Doug Strickler told the newspaper that he received a letter from a private attorney who says he now represents Greene in the case.